Chair



June 21, 1938; w. R. MCGOWEN CHAIR Filed June 25, 1957 INVENT PatentedJune 21,1938

PATENT OFFICE CHAIR William R. McGowen, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to,The-McKay Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania.

Application June 26, 1937, Serial No. 150,457 6 Claims. (01.155-178) Myinvention relates to chairs or similar seating structures, and has forits object the provision of a structure of such form that the seat andback cushions or the like can readily be assembled in the chair frame,with a minimum amount of labor and with the use of a minimum number ofattaching or holding elements, and wherein the cushion elements or thelike can readily be removed for repairs and replacement.

Some of the forms which my invention may take are shown in theaccompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of the chairstructure embodying one form of my invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentaryback view there- 15 of; Fig. 3 is a view on on enlarged scale taken onthe line III-III of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a view showing a modification ofthe structure of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 shows still another modification.

Referringfirst to Figs. 1 to 3,1, show a tubular metal member bent toform base bar portions 6, legs 1, and arm rests 8. The rear ends of thearm rest portions are flattened at 9 for attachment by screws to a backrest 10.

A metal channel of elongated loop form is bent 25 to form seat bars IIand back bars I2, the seat bars having a cross-connecting portion 13 andthe backbar elements a cross-connecting portion I4. The seat barportions H are secured in any suitable manner to the leg portions 1, asby 30 welding, riveting, or by bolts. The flattened ends 9 of the armrests may be welded to the back bar portions l2, if desired.

My invention is more particularly concerned with the form of connectionbetween the back rest I!) and the seat board or cushion l5. These twomembers are of practically identical construction, and the descriptionof the back cushion 1.0 will apply also to the seating element l5. Themembers and I5 may be upholstered or not, as may be desired. In anyevent, they are each provided on three sides with ledge-like projectionsthat serve as flanges or beads that fit into the channel abovedescribed. Thus, the back rest It! has its uppermost flange fittingwithin 45 the portion M of the channel and its side flanges fittingwithin the portions l2 of the channel.

Similarly, the front edge of the seat element 15 flts within the crossbar portion l3, and its side edges fit within seat bar portions I I ofthe chan- 5 nel. i

The back rest is hereshown as upholstered,

and provided with an inner frame I! which is formed of wood, and of,rectangular form to stifien and maintain the cushion in proper shape andcontour at its edges. The frame I! is not an essential'part of thepresent invention. A boardiB forms part of the cushion structure, andmay be of suitable material, such as a single board, but is here shownas a laminated board. As above indicated, the board l9 will project atits upper and side edges, as indicated at 20, to flt within the channelmember. A covering strip I8 of cloth-like material partially embracesthe board I9 and is tacked thereto.

The channel bar above referred to is'made of spring-like material sothat the side bar portions thereof can be sprung apart to permitinsertion of the flanges of the back elements into the channel. Inplacing the backelement H) in place, it is first set low in the frameand after the bar portions I I and I2 have been permitted to spring backinto place and cause engagement with the .fianges 2|], the member lll isslid upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1, and there detachably heldin place as by screws 2|.

Similarly, the seat element I5 will be inserted at a point rearwardly inthe channel frame memher and slid forwardly until its front flange seatswithin the portion l3 of the channel. While the covering 18 is tacked tothe board 19, the channel portions l2 and I4 closely embrace the edgesof the cover and assist in holding it securely in place as well asserving as a finish strip for such edges.

Referring now to Fig. 4, I show a structure which can be used with themetal frame elements of Fig. 1, but wherein the seat and back cushionsare of somewhat different form. In this structure a cushion board 22 hasnailed thereto along each of three of its edges a bar 23 that extendsoutwardly from the edges of the cushion proper to form projectingflangesthat fit'into the channel bar, as in the case of the flange portion 20of Fig. 3. The upholstery covering 24 in addition to being tacked to theboard 22, is clamped between the members 22 and 23. Covering material 25is secured to the members 23 to give a finished appearance to the rearside of the cushion.

As shown in Fig. 5, the cushion element is provided with a base board 26which corresponds to the boards l9 and 22 of the other figures, but inthis case a marginal flange is provided at three edges of the board 26by strips 21 which are nailed to the board 26 and which fit within theflange bar as in the other figures.

' I claim as my invention:

1. Chair structure comprising a base portion and seat and back memberscarried thereby, the said members including a channel frame member ofelongated loop form the sides whereof are bent intermediate their endsto form seat and back bar portions, and being laterally yieldable, andseat and back cushions or the like having their side edges insertibleinto the channels of the seat and back bar portions when such portionsare prung apart.

2. Chair structure comprising a base portion and seat and back memberscarried thereby, the said members including a channel frame member ofelongated loop form the sides whereof are bent intermediate their endsto form seat and back bar portions, and being laterally yieldable, andseat and back cushions or the like having their side edges insertibleinto the channels of the seat and back bar portions, at points adjacentto the bends, when such portions are sprung apart, each cushion beingslidable in the channels toward the end of the loop adjacent thereto.

3. Chair structure comprising a base portion and seat and back memberscarried thereby, the said members including a channel frame member ofelongated loop form the sides whereof are bent intermediate their endsto form seat and back bar portions, and being laterally yieldable, seatof elongated loop form the sides whereof are bent intermediate theirends to form seat and back bar portions, and being laterally yieldable,seat and back cushions or the like having their side edges insertibleinto the channels of the seat and back bar portions when such portionsare sprung apart, and arm rest members extending upwardly and rearwardlyfrom the forward part of the base and having their rear ends secured tothe back cushion and to the back bars.

5. Chair structure comprising a base portion and seat and back memberscarried thereby, the said members including a channel frame member ofelongated loop form the sides whereof are bent intermediate their endsto form seat and back bar portions, and being laterally yieldable, and acushion or the like having its side edges insertible into the channelsat points adjacent to the bends, when the members are sprung apart, andbeing slidable therein to permit an end edge thereof to enter thechannel, at one end of the loop.

6. Chair structure comprising a base portion and seat and back memberscarried thereby, the said members including a frame member of elongatedloop form the sides whereof are bent intermediate their ends to formseat and back bar portions and being laterally yieldable, a cushion orthe like insertible between said sides when they are sprung apart, andmeans for positively holding the cushion against displacement frombetween the bars when the bars have been released to engage the cushion.

WILLIAM R. McGOWEN.

